Coaches Seminar

The official slogan of the Nazarene Youth International is quoted from I Timothy 4:12 - “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity”. The main purpose of Bible Quizzing is to help cultivate the actions, attitudes, and the lifestyle that are necessary to accomplish this slogan. The Bible Quiz program intends to reach this goal through a tactic that is divided in these different areas:

An avenue of meaningful Bible study for youth to attain to a deep and intimate knowledge of Scripture.

A means of increasing fellowship and interaction among youth internationally.

An integral part of the outreach and discipleship aspects of local church youth ministry.

A medium for the training and mentoring of youth leadership worldwide

A catalyst for encouraging active participation in ministry and mission projects.

A bridge between youth from different world regions.

An arena for exciting Christian competition.

ØRecruiting a Team

A. How to talk with teens

1.Get Personal

a)Talk one on one. You won’t have much success when addressing a large group

b)Get to know prospective quizzers ahead of time by being involved in teen functions.

c)Use a teen on the team to recruit for you

2.Don’t Beg

a)Tell them that the team needs them

b)Make sure they realize that quizzing takes commitment

B.Promote Quizzing Among Teens

1.Talk to as Many Teens as Possible

2.Explain Advantages of Quizzing

a)Travel all over xxxxxxx

b)Meet teens from all over the country; start new friendships

c)Make boyfriends/girlfriends

d)Get away from Mom & Dad

e)Get to skip some school

f)Learn more about the Bible

C. Promote Quizzing Among Prospective Quizzers’ Parents and other adults in the church

1.Explain Goals of Quizzing

a)Bible study

b)Deepen or initiate a relationship with Christ

2.Explain Benefits of Quizzing

a)Develop Christian relationships

b)Refine/develop study skills for school (school grades often improve)

c)Fellowship with other teens

3.Explain Requirements of Quizzing

a)Be truthful with parents—quizzing takes time and commitment

b)Summarize approximate time teens need to spend with quizzing

4.Why?

a)You will need help to make your job easier

b)Allows you to miss a quiz if needed but still allow the team to go

5.Who?

a)Current and former NYI adult leaders/workers

b)People like yourself

c)Former quizzers

6.Explain Aspects of Quizzing

a)Travel

b)Fun competition

c)Building special relationships with teens

7.Explain the Quiz Cycle

For every year, there is a book (or books) from the New Testament that is used as a resource material for the questions of the competition.

Following is the 8 year cycle that is used around the world for Youth Quizzing.

4.People & Places List — Can use these in drills to help teens learn about the people and places in the scripture.

5.Context Products

a)Old Testament quotes

b)Questions asked by the writer

c)Numbers mentioned

B.Nazarene Publishing House Products

1.Yellow Question Books — Should have one for each quizzer. Used in their studies. You should not use these in practices.

2.Blue Question Books — Should have one for each coach. Use these in practices.

3.Forms — Score sheets, line-up pads. You should get at least 2 score sheet pads and 1 line-up pad for the year.

4.Rules — You need to be intimately familiar with rules. Your teens that are new to quizzing will ask lots of questions and you should have the rule book so you can properly answer them. Your teens should not come to a quiz without a good understanding of the basic rules.

5.Concordance — Each coach should have one. A good tool to find where the quizzer is at when he is giving an answer.

6.Scripture Portion — Very slim compared to what we gave you here but more expensive. Every coach and quizzer needs a Scripture portion, whether it is the slim or thick one.

7.Cassette Tapes — Audio cassettes of the Scripture are available for sale, but they are very expensive ($15). You can make them a lot cheaper than Publishing House.

8.Quiz Leader’s Handbook — A valuable book to help any coach with his local quiz program. Only $7 and well worth it. Highly recommend it.

9.YouthQuiz.com -- Web based study program available for $15 per year for quizzers or $15 per year for coaches.

PLEASE NOTE: The green book questions are no longer available. District directors must use the YouthQuiz.com WEB access to print question sets for district tournaments; $45 per year. The district directors may also supply questions to the Regional Open Invitationals.

I.Be the Leader

A.Be in Charge

1.Act as the focal point of information for your team and those traveling with your team

2.Control the actions of your team; hold them responsible

3.Direct the activities of your team

B.Be Responsible

1.Get quizzers to the proper area on time

2.Be responsible for the conduct of your team

3.Assist tournament directors any way possible

II.Be the Coach

A.Keep Score

1.Helps insure correct score is posted by official scorekeeper

2.Allows you to make informed decisions about when to “send” quizzers

3.Let’s the quizzers keep their focus on the quizmaster and not worry about the score.

B.Anticipate Possible Outcomes

1.Learn to anticipate what the other team might do to stop your team

2.Learn how to stop the other team by sending, burning, etc.

3.Anticipating means knowing the score and all the scoring potentials

C.Direct the Jumping

1.Directing the jumping is the same as the “game plan” in other sports

2.Learn to know when to “send” a quizzer

3.Let the quizzers know that you are the boss; they jump when you tell them to. Sometimes that means jumping on first word and other times to sit out the entire question.

4.Hold your quizzers accountable for their jumping. If they jump when you say, praise them regardless of the outcome. If they don’t jump, discipline them (make them sit out, verbally “scold” them, etc.).

III.Strategies in a Quiz

A.Sending a Quizzer

1.What is it?

a)It is controlling the “offense” of your team.

b)Directing a quizzer to jump on a specific word or beat in the cadence of the quizmaster’s question.

2.When Do You Send? This depends on the situation. You need to know your team and your opponents. The following are tips when to do it.

a)At the beginning of the quiz. Sometimes jumping very quickly will shake up the other team and cause them to jump too fast and get into error trouble.

b)On the first question. The team that scores the first toss-up question often wins. The advantage is in your favor if you do.

c)On question 15. If you have 3 or less team errors, go hard on question 15. Error points will begin to deduct only on question 16 or on the 5th team error. After question 16, errors can be very costly.

d)When the other team is on a roll. When teams get on a roll, you need to break it up and sometimes sending can do it.

3.Why Do You Send?

a)To control the offense of your team.

b)To get quizzers up earlier. Many quizzers will “think on their seat and not on their feet” if you let them. But most can score if they “think on their feet and not on their seat”. Quizzers have 30 seconds to answer. They should think out their answer after the jump, not before it!

c)To stop the opponents offense such as to stop a 30 point question.

B.When to Sit

1.When the win is secure. You do not need to balloon the score if the win is ensured.

2.In some forms of quizzing, the quiz must end on a correct answer. So if your team has the win locked up, they should sit unless they know without a doubt what the answer is.

3.When the other team is jumping so fast and are making errors, you team should sit or slow way down. You do not want your team sucked into jumping too fast just to get the jump. They’ll error if they do. Let the other team take the error.

4.Possibly when in a 3 team quiz and your team can not win the round and the other 2 teams are very close in score near the end of the round (perhaps questions 19 and 20).

2.Insist quizzers attempt an answer for all bonus questions. Quizzes are won and lost on bonus questions.

D.When to Call Time-outs

1.Time-outs are used to discuss strategies, evaluate the situation, and to re-focus your quizzers. It is very important to keep your quizzers focused on the quiz.

2.Call a time-out to break the roll of another team. When a team gets on a roll, taking a one-minute time-out can break their rhythm.

E.Maintain a Christian Attitude

1.Maintain a Christ-like attitude before, during, and after a quiz, regard­less of the outcome. Remember, you are an example to your quizzers.

2.NEVER humiliate the other team—if you can’t lose, don’t continue to blow out the other team, continue to compete but go slower.

3.Remember quizzing is more than just a competition. The ultimate goal of quizzing is to draw teens closer to Jesus Christ.

I.Officials of a Quiz

A.Quizmaster

1.Function

a)Person who asks the questions and judges the correctness of the answer

b)Sets the pace of the quiz. Through his question asking and judging, he controls the time each quiz uses. A good quizmaster can finish a quiz in less than 30 minutes.

c)Keeps order in the quiz by enforcing the rules

2.Qualities

a)Impartiality. Judging the answers of all teams fairly and equally, use the same amount of strictness.

b)Consistency. Reading all questions at the same rate of speed and stopping at the same point every time a jump occurs.

c)Preparedness. A quizmaster needs to be familiar with the material so that he can quickly make an informed decision. The quizmaster can become familiar by reading through the material a few times the week before the quiz.

d)Clarity. Reading clearly and loudly enough for all to hear.

e)Decisiveness. The longer it takes you to reach a decision, the more uncertain you look, so never take longer than 1 minute to make your decision.

f)Good Memory. Often may have to recall what was and wasn’t said

3.Performance of Duties

a)Reading of Questions. Begin each question by identifying the type of question, the question number, the word question, and then reading the question. For example: “This is a Book & Chapter question. Question number 3. Question. In what book…” Stop reading at the exact point a quizzer jumps. Recognize them and ask them to finish the question (if it is unfinished).

b)Deciding the Correctness of an Answer. A quizzer must give you a question if told to do so and give an answer. The answer may be given first and the question need not exactly match the quizmaster’s question. As long as a question is given and the major points are covered, the quizzer should be counted correct. If the question or answer is incorrect, give the full question to the corresponding chair

b)Discreteness. Do not interrupt quizzer in middle of their answer. Wait until answer is done or between questions.

II.Other Workers at a Quiz

A.Statistics Team

1.Function

a)Accurately track individual and team scores

b)Determine individual and team standings

2.Qualities

a)Speed. Must be able to perform duties quickly. At a large tournament, many score sheets are coming in every 25 minutes. You must be able to collect & check scores; enter, sort, & print data within that time frame.

b)Computer-Literate. Must be able to enter and manipulate data

c)Meticulous. Must be able to accurately double check all score sheets

B.Director’s Aide

1.Function

a)Assist director in administering tournament

b)Gopher

2.Qualities

a)Speed. Must be able to perform duties quickly.

b)Versatility. Must be able to many things at the same time.

III.Why Do I Need to Know About Officiating?

A.Coaches Are Officials

1.At Practices

a)Quizmastering

b)Timekeeper

c)Scorekeeper

d)Content Judge

2.At Tournaments

a)Coaches are sometimes used to fill in

b)When teams combine, coaches act as officials

B.Recruiting Officials

1.For when you don’t have a team

2.To explain to others how to be an official to help out at tournaments and practices.

I.Basic Rules of Quizzing

A.The Basics of a Quiz

1.2 or 3 teams competing at the same time on the seats

2.Questions are asked by a quizmaster

3.Jump when you want to answer the question (preferably at the key word)

4.Seats determine who is the first to jump

5.You have 30 seconds to finish question if necessary and give an answer

6.If you error, the same question goes to the quizzer in the same chair on the other team(s)

B.Composition of Quiz Sets

1.Length. 20 questions long

2.Types of Questions. Each set has 11 general knowledge questions, 1 book and chapter or situation (narratives), 4 reference (according to), 1 Finish, 1 Reference, 1 Quote, and 1 Context

3.21st (and subsequent where necessary) question tie breaker for teams is always a general knowledge question

2.Your question and answer does not have to be verbatim as on the quizmaster’s paper except for memory verses

3.Quizmaster must take your first answer—you can’t change your answer; you may only add to it.

4.Multiple questions should be given as q, q, q, a, a, a unless the quizzer is specific about what answer is for what question. The quizmaster must be clear on the question and answer.

5.A quoted verse cannot be accepted as an answer unless the quizzer places extra emphasis on the part that is the answer unless the question is a memory verse.

6.If the quizmaster cannot hear the answer then the answer may be incorrect. A quizmaster is not required to replay a recording of any answer.

E.Age Restrictions

1.Regions may vary as to age restrictions. Many require the teen to be a member of NYI by local church designation (6th grade a part of NYI). Some regional NYI’s may require the teen to have reached the age of 12 by the first day of the regional NYI event.

2.A local church determines initial eligibility.

3.Non Nazarene churches may participate depending upon district and region NYI policy.

4.18 years old or when that teen’s class has graduated.

5.Specific circumstances may alter the above. Approval should be by local church, then district NYI council, then regional NYI council.

F.Recent Changes

1.A quizmaster not informing the quizzer (who has been recognized as obtaining the jump) that the question is complete (finished, etc) is no longer grounds for an appeal or challenge. The quizzer, within the 30 second time limit, may ask the quizmaster is the question has been completed. The quizmaster can only reply “yes” or “no”.

II.What Does It Take To Be A Quizzer?

A.Commitment — Most important

1.To God

a)That you will do your best to learn His word so that you may apply it to your life.

b)That you will share your knowledge of His word with others. Many times you will see others who are discouraged and something you learned in quizzing may help them. Be bold enough to share what you know with others.

2.To the Team — Do your part to make the team successful

a)Be there for all practices and tournaments regardless of what else is going on at home, church, or school.

b)Support each other. Don’t cut down a teammate for an error, foul, or anything else. Congratulate each other for doing your best.

c)Learn the material that you are responsible for.

d)Listen to the coach. Your coach doesn’t always know best, but if you follow his instructions, you won’t be criticized.

3.To Yourself

a)Learn the material. It will make you more successful at quizzes.

b)Set aside a minimum time each day to study.

c)Look for ways to squeeze in quizzing in the spare minutes of your day.

B.Organizational Approach To Studying

1.Select a specified amount of time that you will study each day

2.Pick a time each day to study

3.Get the most out of the time you’ve committed to

4.Organize how you will study

III.Develop a Study Plan (use the study plan in the Quizzer’s Handbook) Day 1: Read (minimum: read through once) Day 2: Outline/Keywords (minimum: fill in grid outline, list main points & summarize, half of the unique keywords on flash cards) Day 3: Question Book (minimum: Check mark method on every 3rd question) Day 4: Memory (minimum: 2 verses) Day 5: Write Questions (minimum: 1 question for every 3 verses) Day 6: Review old material (minimum: read through all chapters once) Day 7: Review days 1–5 on current material before practice

IV.Where to Start

A.Keywords

1.Explain uniques doubles, triples

2.Importance of keywords

B.When to Underline

1.Before starting your study plan, you must first underline the chapters you are studying. Note: Underlining does not count as part of your committed time for the day; it is extra!

2.Break in books so they don’t fall apart at Galatians or Philippians, etc.

3.Get out keywords and underline at least uniques. More if time allows.

I.Study Methods

A.Straight Reading

1.Reading straight through, concentrating on the phrases and keywords

2.Cassette Reading. Reading straight through while listening to the cassette recording of the chapter. (Hearing the words helps reinforce what you read)

B.Double or Triple Repetition Method

1.Saying the verse over and over until the verse is memorized.

2.Once enough material is covered, repeat, beginning with the first chapter through many chapers for the next tournament. Before beginning material for the next tournament review the previous chapters. Review the previous material when new material is mastered.

3.Speed quoted, outloud, can confirm memorization.

C. Concentration

1.Easier to memorize if the material is understood.

2.Break verse into phrases, if appropriate.

3.Use idex cards with verse on 1 side and reference on other.

II.Outlines

A.Grid Outline

1.Hand out Grid Outline

2.Show how to fill it out

3.Explain that these can be used for different things, e.g.; miracles, people, parables, main points, memory verses, etc.

B.Topical Outline

1.Hand out outline

2.Fill it out

III.Keyword Flash Cards

A.Why Do You Make Them?

1.Helps you learn keywords and their phrases

2.Excellent tool for review, just look at the key word and try to come up with the phrase that’s on the back

B.How to Make Unique Keyword Flash Cards

1.Using Matthew 3, write unique keywords on one side

2.Write associated phrase on reverse

(Note: Do as many keyword flash cards that time allows)

I.Using Question Book I

A.Question Asking

1.Have someone else ask you the questions

2.Record questions and answer on tape, play back tape and press stop when you want to jump

II.Writing Questions

A.Why Should You Write Questions?

1.Helps You Prejump Questions By:

a)Learning how to finish a question

b)Learning proper question structure

2.Helps You Learn Material

B.How Do you Write a Question?

1.Look for the answer first

2.Write a question for the answer you selected

C.How many questions do I write?

1.Write 1 question for every 3 verses—3 questions in Ch 1:16-25, 7 in Ch 2, and 5 in Ch 3Note: you should allow 10–12 minutes to make them do this.

III.Reviewing Old Material

A.Why Review Old Material?

1.Need to periodically review it to keep whole book in perspective.

2.Helps you see similarities and differences between passages

3.You will forget it very soon if you don’t review it

4.We quiz on old material so you need a systematic approach

B.3–5–7 Plan

1.Review last 3 verses, then chapers; last 5, last 7

2.Keep entries in a handbook.

C.How To Review

1.Read the material through

2.Review keyword cards

3.Review memory verses using flash cards

4.Review your written questions

5.Look at every fifth question in yellow book (or blue book).

Note: You can do steps 2 and 3 at times other than your normal study time. Use your flash cards on the way to and from school, at lunch, in the bathroom, whenever and wherever you have a few minutes to do some of them!

I.When Do People Jump?

A.When You Know It

1.When you know the question and answer.

2.This method is very slow.

3.It will be difficult to be successful in quizzing if you only jump when you know it.

B.When You Think You Know It

1.This method is when you are taking a small chance that you will be able to figure it out.

2.Also very slow.

3.You will still not be very successful in quizzing if you are jumping with this method.

C.When You Anticipate the Keyword — Also known as prejumping

1.Define Prejump — Jumping before you know what the question is

2.What Is The Question Keyword? — That word or words that lead you to only one possible answer. Generally it will be the verb in the question.

3.Analyze Question Structure — Listen to the question and try to guess when the keyword is coming and jump at that point (before you hear the keyword)

4.This is the fastest way of jumping. If your timing is correct and you are prepared (knowing at 95% of all questions asked), you will be extremely successful.

D.When Your Coach Tells You

1.Sometimes your coach will tell you to jump on the third word of the question or maybe the first word! As long as you jump when you were told to, it doesn’t matter whether you get the answer right or not.

II.How to Jump

A.Basics of Jumping

1.Center of balance as far forward as possible, you want the minimum movement possible to turn on light, etc.

2.Positioning yourself for minimum movement

3.No moving after getting set

III.Jump Practice

A.Get everyone on the seats. If you have too many, divide them into 2 groups to take turns.

B.Let them try jumping on their own to find a style that suits them.

C.Evaluate each person and offer suggestions on how to improve their jump

D.Let them see their light on the quiz box. It will help them get a better feel on how to jump.

NOTE: Make sure you take enough time on the steps listed above to help everyone get a good feel on how to jump.

E. Ask Practice Questions — Make it like a quiz practice

I.What Are Memory Verses?

A.Verses that have special meaning

B.Verses that are well known

C.Important to know them because there are 3 memory questions every round

II.Memory Prejumps

A.What are they?

B.Why learn them? — Helps you jump faster!

III.Mark Memory Verses — Make them do this step

A.Underline Prejumps in black. This will help you learn the prejumps as you learn the verse.

B.Highlight verses (caution: highlighters will bleed, use lightly)

IV.Memorization Techniques

A.Repetition Method

B.Phrase Method

1.Specific portions of a verse that flow together.

2.Could be at end of a sentence or semi-colon, colon, etc.

C.After learning your verses for the day…

1.Write the verse from memory on a flash card. Highlight or underline the prejump on the card. Write the reference on other side.

2.Be sure to check your flash card against the Scripture portion!

Knowledge of rules

Test for thorough knowledge of rules must know rules to challenge/appeal effectively

Scoring

Fouls (new rules)

Errors

Types and numbers of questions in a quiz

Challenges and Appeals

Challenges issued for an error in judgement committed by quizmaster

Appeals issued for an error in procedure by quizmaster or others

Give questions and answer. Ask how they would rule and why. Make someone else take opposing view.

Questions to Ask

Q. How far is Jerusalme from the hill called the Mount of Olives?

A. A Sabbath day’s walk (1:12) Given A.: About ¾ mile (1:12 footnote)

Are answers given from footnotes okay? Don’t we request information from the footnote when we ask for references of OT quotes?

Q. Of whose resurrection did David speak?

A. The Christ (2:31) Given A: Jesus

Isn’t Jesus the Christ? Why should this or should not be wrong

Christian witness

Ethics in Quizzing

Is it right to:

win by more than 200pts, 250pts, 300pts?

Appeal on a technicality

Challenging when quiz is locked up

Challenging when you are obviously better than the other team

What do you do when:

your team is guaranteed a win

a questionable answer by the opposing team is accepted and you should by all rights win the quiz based on the current score, the lack of ability on the opposing team, etc.

For 1st year quizzers, go over the lesson plan as outlined. You may want to ask some oral questions afterward to ensure they got it.

For 2nd year quizzers, treat the lesson plan as a review of material they already know. The main emphasis is placed on “doing the tasks”. They are not allowed to leave the area until certain standards are met as outlined below.

Intro — mark keywords for Ch 1-2, Test

Study I — Explanation of different reading styles, doing double rep on Ch 1&2. Fill out grid and topical outlines. If time allows, make them do keyword flash cards for chapter 1-2 uniques.

Study II — Write 1 question for every three verses, Test

Memory — Have them fill out memory cards on all verses. Have Group A learn two verses, Group B learn 4 verses. Test them. Assign different verses to Groups A and B.

Make sure you cover everything that is on the test. Look over it first to be sure.

Try to do the following:

Don’t lecture a lot.

Try to initiate a discussion. Use the veterans in your group.

Use question and answer sessions to make sure they understand what you have said.